Success in any business largely depends on the success of its marketing efforts. But with so many ways to market and so many areas to focus on, it can be challenging to narrow a campaign down to a single focal point. However, if you fail to create a focused strategy, your marketing efforts will likely be less than successful.
To that end, 11 professionals from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) were asked the following question:
“What’s one area small-business marketers should focus the bulk of their efforts on this year, and why?”
Here’s what they think should be on the to-do list of small-business marketers in 2022.
1. Building Community With Customers
“One area small-business marketers should focus the bulk of their efforts on this year is building community. When you build a community with your customers, their lifetime value is longer and they’ll be more likely to refer contacts to purchase your product or service.” ~ Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME
2. Telling Stories in Marketing Communications
“Small-business marketers need to introduce and focus on storytelling in their marketing communications. People don’t connect with businesses that only want to create sales. They value companies that have a meaningful story to share with their audience. I suggest reading books that teach you about storytelling in marketing. Apply them and you’ll notice a difference in how people engage with you.” ~ Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
3. Leveraging the Metaverse for Promotions
“Small-business marketers should consider focusing on the metaverse and how it can be leveraged for promotional purposes. It’s a new domain and primed with opportunities.” ~ Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC
4. Sharing Their Story on Social Media
“Your small business doesn’t have to crawl its way up to success. It can simply boom with one social media post. Most small-business owners have found their way to success through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which provide an option to share your story. As subtle as it may appear, sharing your business story will increase your market size and awareness and spur excitement.” ~ Candice Georgiadis, Digital Day
5. Building Automation for Redundant Tasks
“Focus on building automation so you don’t get stuck in the weeds or miss out on opportunities. There are redundant tasks that are important but that can be done at scale. For example, you can schedule automated text messages to nurture crucial client relationships. Then, you can automatically add these relationships into custom ad audiences on Facebook and Instagram to provide top-of-mind awareness.” ~ Bryan Citrin, Chiropractic Advertising
6. Appointing a Team for Digital Marketing
“Digital marketing needs to be a high priority, and you can’t outsource it to contractors. Work with an established company or develop a team in-house; one person alone cannot carry an entire marketing campaign. They need support and resources. Having a team working on digital marketing will sustain your efforts through the year.” ~ Duran Inci, Optimum7
7. Creating Shareable Video Content
“Creating shareable video content is going to be key for small businesses wanting to grow in 2022. Between platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and user experience on websites, compelling video content is a must. The more creative, the better.” ~ Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR
8. Building the ‘Know, Like and Trust’ Factor
“Small businesses need to connect with their customers on a personal level. Consumers want to know who they’re doing business with. This year, the focus should be on building the ‘know, like and trust’ factor for business owners. Let your audience into your business. Be transparent in your practices and let consumers know how they fit into the bigger picture.” ~ Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.
9. Considering Voice Search Optimization
“Business marketers need to start thinking about voice search optimization. More people use voice search to browse and buy products online than ever before. If your site doesn’t rank for long-tail, voice search-specific keywords, you could be missing out on a lot of organic traffic and countless sales opportunities.” ~ John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC
10. Helping Customers Solve Problems
“Small businesses that want to get more customers with less effort over time need to focus on inbound marketing. Here, you don’t push to sell or promote yourself very much. Instead, the focus is on helping customers solve their problems, like by providing free tutorials on YouTube, for example. You’ll build an audience and develop trust in this way, and people will buy from you down the line.” ~ Blair Williams, MemberPress
11. Humanizing Their Brand for Followers
“Focus on humanizing your brand. Go live on your social channels and have one-on-one interactions with your users. Introduce your team to your followers and give them a sneak peek into your office. Let your audience know that there are real people behind the brand name who are working hard to make their lives easier. This will help you connect with your audience better and reach your goals faster.” ~ Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite
Image: Depositphotos
